Contemplative
by I'mNotGivingMyNameToAMachine
Summary: The end of the world draws ever closer, and Raven is baffled on how to stop it. She thinks about her friends, and realizes she cares for a certain Titan most...What will she do to stop what she is?


Author's Note:

This story started out as a chapter to another story. After I changed the plot somewhat in that story, this part of it become useless, and It's been sitting saved on my computer for awhile. Anyway, I thought of a new story idea, and it occurred to me that I could change this around a bit and create this new story. After modifying the hell out of it, I maneged to turn it into chapter one of what will be a relatively short story, I estimate a little over 5000 words maybe. This story takes place about two weeks after the episode "Birthmark"

Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

Hell. Hell was everywhere. Hell was all that Raven knew. Fire and pain; nothing but complete and utter hell. Raven had to work to focus her eyes so she could see. and as soon as the world (was it?) clarified around her, she looked, horrified at the fire and smoke that was quite literally everywhere. The destroyed cars and buildings, their rubble lying all over. The bodies of what had been human beings now completely lifeless and turned to stone. The blood red sky. This was hell, or, at least, it was a vision of what the world would soon be: A world consumed by fire; by pain.

Raven was going to to do this. She was going to destroy the world and create the hell that she now saw before her. Raven looked around wide eyed at the barren wasteland that she was going to create.

This was all her fault.

Every last bit.

She then heard a laugh, the coldest most evil thing she had ever heard. She spun around, already knowing what she would see: Her father.

Raven woke up before she had a chance to even glance at the huge demon that was her father, something she was grateful for.

Her violet eyes snapped open. She was awake; awake from another of the hellish dreams that now plagued her every so often; now nearly every night, it seemed. For another relitivaly bright and sunny day she was free, free from the nightmare of what was to come. Free until the next coming night, that is.

Ever since her sixteenth birthday, a birthday that her friends, the rest of the teenage team of superheroes known as the Teen Titans, had unfortunately found out about, Raven had been having these horrific dreams. Ever since her sixteenth birthday, the countdown had started.

It had been almost two weeks since that day, and the now the seemingly unstoppable Slade, the toughest and most resilient foe of the Teen Titans had delivered the frightening message to Raven.

She would destroy the world.

The incident still gave Raven the chills.

A now fully awake Raven sat up in bed, and did a quick look around her room to make sure that nothing was out of place. The nightmares didn't scare her much anymore, and she had lost count of them, but they did leave her feeling a little uneasy.

"I really need to start sleeping better" Raven whispered to herself with her sarcastic, monotones voice, knowing that merely stating the problem and completely solving it were two different things entirely.

She then turned to view her clock, which read 6:34 AM in crimson digital numbers. Only Robin would be up at this hour, like he always was. Raven was usually up second, around this time normally. How early Robin woke up was still a mystery to her.

Raven got out of bed and quickly got dressed in her usual attire, being topped off by the dark blue cape and hood that she almost always wore. She then did a quick check to make sure that her hair was the way she liked it. It was, and Raven gave herself a little satisfaction. She was, after all, a very habitual person and liked things the way she already had them.

She looked out of her bedroom window. The sun was just beginning to come up in the horizon. Raven stared at it thinking of how few sunrises were left to be had.

Sunrises had become a cause of dispair. Another day closer...

She quickly shook her head, trying to clear it of such thoughts. She was going to find a way to stop it. She had to...

Raven sighed, "I guess I should at least TRY to be social," she mumbled.

She took a last look at the sunrise, now very much up and bright, and then turned to head for the door. Maybe Wonder Boy was in a better mood.

Raven quietly left her room, and proceeded down the still dark hallway to the elevator that would take her to the top room of Titans tower. The room which served as the kitchen and living room for the titans. It was one of the largest rooms in the entire tower, and it was the place where the titans spent much of there time.

Raven tapped the elevator activation button, and patiently waited for the elevator's arrival, which took several minutes.

_"It won't happen, I know I can stop it."_

Once the elevator arrived, Raven took no time entering the elevator and hitting the button that would take her to the main room.

_"But what if I can't stop it...?"_

Raven thought about it. If she couldn't stop the end of the world, everyone would die. Her friends would die. She had to find a way to stop this. She didn't really know how much killing her friends and everyone else on the planet would affect her. Probably not all that well. She preferred not to think about it; it wasn't a very healthy or effecient method of helping the issue, but Raven couldn't currently think of anything better to do.

The ride was quiet. Raven rather enjoyed peace and quiet, and she savored the quiet time she had. This time was no exception. She took the time to reflect on her dreams. The dreams of the end of the world that had plagued her. The fiery end that was to come. She tried to relax a little more, using the spell she always used to harness her dark power. She didn't really want to think about the end of the world right now, so meditating seems a resonable way to occupy her mind for awhile.

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos." she chanted quietly, eyes closed, "Azerath Metrion Zinthos."

Raven repeated the chant several more times before the effects took hold. She was calm now, emotionless, the way she preferred it because she knew that her power was now in check. Raven opened her eyes, in time to see the elevator doors open revealing a very sunlit living room/kitchen. She squinted her eyes until they adapted to the drastic light change; the sunbeams of early morning that came in waves from the main room's huge windows, soaking everything in a gorgeous golden light like an ocean would soak a beach with water. She then she took a deep breath and stepped off the elevator into the main room of Titans tower.

She was greeted with a very pleasant smell of eggs and bacon. She looked directly to the kitchen area, which was in the right hand corner of the room that was closest to her.

Robin was in the kitchen cooking away. Sometimes the intrepid leader of the Teen Titans would simply eat a bowl of cold cereal, to save time while his mind was on more importent things. But sometimes he would go all out and treat himself by making a full fledged, balenced breakfast. This was obviously one of those occasions.

Raven took a few quiet and slightly timid steps towards the kitchen. She really wanted some herbal tea right about now; The urge had hit her not five seconds ago.

Actually she usually did around this time every morning, and she had apparently trained herself to want tea every time she got to about where she was now. One moment, she was thinking about the end of the world. The next, she wanted tea.

Raven, always a person of habits.

As Raven quickly and quietly covered the few feet from the elevator to the kitchen, her mission now waiting for completion, she watched Robin in a generally bored way,waiting for him to notice her presence.

He did, but he probably knew she was coming before the elevator even arrived. Robin was observant that way.

"Good morning, Raven!" Robin said cheerfully, turning his head over his shoulder to look at her,"Sleep well?"

"Not particularly." Raven replied in her bored manner of speech.

"Oh. I'm sorry," Robin looked down to checkup on the making his breakfast, before looking back up.He gave Raven a huge smile, as though he was trying to cheer her up. Like it could actually work, but she gave him a few points for the galient effort.

"I took the liberty of heating up some water for you, hope you don't mind. I didn't add anything to to, its just heated up water..." he trailed off and pointed to the kettle that was on the stove. White steam drifted up slowly from its nozzle.

Raven was a bit shocked that anyone would bother going out of their way for her. "Ummm, thanks Robin..." Was all she maneged to say. She was also surprised that Robin seemed to know that she was coming at this early hour. But then again, she always did around this time, and of course, Robin was observent that way.

Robin smiled even brighter "Your quite welcome." He turned back to the stove to keep an eye on his eggs "Would you like any actual breakfast to go with your tea? It wouldn't be any trouble, really."

"No thank you, Robin. You've already mostly made my tea for me, your work here is done." Raven said, not feeling quite so bad anymore. Robin's good mood seemed to be rubbing off on her.

Just like he wanted.

Clever boy...

Raven moved around the kitchen counter, and next to Robin besides the stove. She grabbed the kettle, and began the final touches of making her tea.

The two Titans worked on their respective tasks for several minutes in complete silence. That was one of the things that Raven liked about Robin in comparison to the other Titans. He could be very quiet and peaceful at times, and Raven found it very relaxing.

But even though she was an avid supporter of silence, Raven decided to try to converse for once in her life. She was afraid she was running out of chances to, so she decided to start trying now.

"Umm, Robin?" Raven asked in a small voice as she slightly turned away from making her tea to face Robin.

"Yep?" He said, acknowledging her, even though he was already pretty busy.

If there was anything Robin could do, it would be multi-tasking.

"Why are you always so... umm... cheery... in the morning?" Raven asked quietly. She wasn't exactly the best conversationalist in the world.

"Well, I suppose I usually am." Robin replied. "Dunno quite why... Maybe its the fact that today is a new day, and you can kind of start over in a way."

Robin gave a small laugh "Or at least that's what I'd like to think," he said smiling.

"That's a good thing to think." Raven said, pausing from making her tea to give Robin a glance.

Robin shrugged, "I try to. I think it's best to think positive."

Raven nodded once. She knew where he was coming from, but somehow, all of a sudden, she wasn't feeling so positive right now. All of her negative thoughts had rushed back into her head and all of the cheering up Robin had done moments earlier had been utterly defeated. She turned back to check on her tea. Close, but no cigar, Wonder Boy...

"Hey, Raven?"

Raven again turned slightly until Robin came into view.

"Yes?"

"I don't know what Slade wanted with you or how he got those powers, but I promise you, I intend to find out," Robin said grimly. He, of course, meant it. Robin would most certainly do everything in his power to find out what was going on.

But that was exactly what Raven was afraid of. She didn't really want her friends to find out what she was, or why she was really on Earth.

There was still (maybe) a chance to stop it, and if Raven could not, she wouldn't tell the Titans anyway. Might as well let them be happy right to the end.

Raven nodded, "Thanks, Robin" she said softly.

The boy wonder smiled, "You feel any better?"

"Not really. Still a little creeped out."

Robin gave a small chuckle, "I don't blame you," he said turning back to the stove to make sure his eggs weren't burning.

Raven just continued to stare at him, a revelation hitting her with the subtlty of a brick: Robin may very well be her best friend; he most certainly understood her the best of anyone of the Titans. Isn't that kind of what a best friend is? The person who understands you?

Raven thought about it; it did make sense.

Somewhat.

She finished making her tea, and quietly picked up the steaming cup, and turned to begin her quiet journey back to her room. She had a lot to think about.

She was at the elevator, and quietly pressed the summon button that would open the door. Raven then turned around to face Robin. He hadn't even asked where or why she was leaving. He simply and quietly understood that she wanted to be left alone.

"Robin?"

Robin turned to look up at Raven. "Yep?"

"I wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for me... Really... Thank you..."

It wasn't a very good 'thank you', an unfortunate fact that Raven realized moments after saying it.

Robin smiled "No thanks needed. It's why I'm here."

Raven nodded, and she turned back to face the elevator which was now opening, and she took a sip of her tea. It was very good, and it did it's intended job of warming her up.

She wanted to get back to her room, and spend some time meditating, and thinking about just how she was going to go about stopping her father from coming to Earth. She had much thinking to do, and she was running out of time to do it.

Raven stepped into the elevator, and it closed behind her with a 'click'.


End file.
